This invention is in the field of animal traps and, more particularly, is directed towards trigger mechanisms therefor.
Many types of animal traps and various mechanisms for the triggering thereof are known in the art. The usual prior art mechanism employed for setting and triggering a trap in includes a latch member for holding the trap in a set position and a hingably connected release member for releasing the latch when downward force is applied thereto. Normally, the hinged member has a fulcrum or pivot point which determines the axis or axes of sensitivity of the trigger mechanism. Accordingly, most trigger mechanisms have only one axis of sensitivity or are more sensitive in one axis then the other(s).
Characteristically, the latch member of the above described trigger mechanisms has a hitching or hooking portion with sharply defined edges or surfaces to provide a slip-free latch. Naturally, these edges or surfaces are sites for pressure points and are therefore subject to considerable friction wear and tear. Eventually, this wear can result in altered triggering characteristics which may render the trap ineffectual or so unpredictable as to be potentially dangerous for the trap setter.
Generally, increases in the axial sensitivity of trigger mechanisms have been accompanied by corresponding increases in the complexity of the trigger mechanism. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,844 discloses an animal trap having a trigger sensitive in two axis of movement, but which requires an electrical power source and which is characterized by a relatively complicated triggering mechanism. From an operational and manufacturing point of view, this increased complexity is undesirable as it usually leads to lower reliability and increased cost of production.
The present invention seeks to avoid the above outlined disadvantages of prior art trigger mechanisms by providing a relatively simple trigger mechanism having enhanced axial sensitivity and wear resistant construction.